Rapture
by Toliara
Summary: (AU, shounen-ai, language) The story has taken a sudden turn into . . . space? And more characters, too! Chapter 4A is up, and 4B is expected to be up soon! Ooh, the anticipation. . . . (Heh! I'm not dead, yet!)
1. 1: Nee kikoemasu ka?

Disclaimer (which I forgot to write earlier ;;): I do not own Gravitation, the plor, or any of its characters; they belong to their creator, Murakami Maki. I do own the plot and ideas expressed within this story.  
  
Genre: AU/SF/Romance  
  
Story Type: Serial (hopefully!)  
  
Summary: Yuki Eiri is a private investigator who has taken up the task of protecting a new client, Shindou Shuichi. What actions will have to be taken to make sure Shuichi stays safe?  
  
Key: word = description; 'word' = thoughts; "word" = speech; WORD = emphasis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rapture  
  
Chapter One  
  
It was raining again. The rain was sometimes considered a blessing and sometimes it was just a casual annoyance.  
  
And to Yuki Eiri, it was a little of both.  
  
He lit up in the safety of his easy chair, taking a break from the rest of the world. The blonde looked through the large, smudged windows of his small office and sighed.  
  
The overcast sky created unusually dark shadows across the floor, so that the main source of light was emanating from the glow of his favorite Alfa-brand menthol cigarette. He inhaled deeply, relishing in the distinct, almost mint-flavored smoke before letting the air out of his lungs.  
  
A sudden knock at his door made him look up. "Nori?"  
  
"Ah, Eiri-san, someone's here to see you," his assistant, Ukai Noriko, explained in her usual, upbeat tone of voice.  
  
"Do they have an appointment?"  
  
"No, but I thought that since you didn't have any more appointments scheduled for today, then you could take this one. You don't mind, do you? Of course not! They even have money and are willing to pay up front, so. . . . My kid's gotta eat, too, you know!" She giggled quietly.  
  
Yuki rolled his eyes. He could imagine the pleased look on his secretary's face without a lot of guesswork. "Sure. Send 'em in. And while you're up, call the electric company on your cell."  
  
The purple-haired woman opened the door with a smile and a person in a flowing cloak walked in with a polite nod toward Noriko. "I already DID, Eiri-san; they said that there was a downed power line somewhere and that they were sending someone out to repair it; the usual bull. Never can trust the electric company, eh? I swear, the people in charge must just like messing with our minds. I mean, it was only drizzling when I went outside for lunch!"  
  
"Thank you, Noriko."  
  
"No problem!" She winked and closed the door behind her with a satisfying clink.  
  
"Actually, the rain's picked up a lot since then," the cloaked figure, obviously a young male from the sound of their voice, said and sat down in the faux-leather chair in front of Yuki's desk. "It's really a downpour!"  
  
Yuki took his cigarette out of his mouth and began shuffling papers into manila folders with his other hand. "So . . . what do you want? I require half of the payment up front, the other half you can give me when I've solved your problems."  
  
The boy took his hood off. "Can you work as a bodyguard?"  
  
The blonde leaned back in his chair and took a drag. "Yes, but it costs significantly more than any other service I offer: 16 million yen. If you don't have the money, then don't waste my time."  
  
"Oh, don't worry, I have enough money."  
  
He pulled out a small wallet and began to count out large bills, to Yuki's surprise. "You just rob a bank, kid?"  
  
The pink-haired boy laughed quietly. "Practically." He slid the rumpled money across the desk and then folded his hands. "Does that mean that you can be my bodyguard, um, Yuki-san? That is your name, right?"  
  
Yuki began examining the money, which appeared to be entirely legit. "Do you have more, or are you just gonna make me your bodyguard until you pay it off?"  
  
"No! No, look, here."  
  
He passed the wallet over and the older man nearly dropped his cigarette on his slacks. "Hey, kid, seriously, I can't get involved with the law, here. . . ."  
  
"Don't worry! I didn't take it from a bank and I didn't hack up some poor old lady to bits in an alley to get it. It was a present." He caught the wallet as the blonde tossed it back.  
  
Yuki pocketed his money and glared at the boy. "Why do you need me for this job? Are you in some sort of gang?"  
  
He smiled. "Oh, no way! Do I look like I am?" He seemed rather pleased. "I didn't think I looked that tough!"  
  
"You don't. I thought you were a girl when you first walked in."  
  
His face fell considerably. "Oh."  
  
"What's your name, anyway?"  
  
"I'm so sorry! I completely forgot to tell you! I've been so stressed lately! I'm Shindou Shuichi. It's nice to meet you, Yuki-san." He offered a small hand from the confines of his cloak but Yuki ignored it.  
  
"All right, Shindou, explain to me why you need my services as a bodyguard."  
  
"Ah. Well, you see, I've run away."  
  
Yuki smirked. "Daddy won't let you drive his car?"  
  
"No, not like that. I haven't seen my no-good parents for seven years."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
Shuichi's blue-purple eyes were lit up from a sudden lightning bolt outside. "I haven't mentioned this, but I'm a cantavis."  
  
The blonde's expression deadpanned as a clap of thunder followed. "You're an alien?"  
  
"Yes," Shuichi said and rolled his eyes. "Since I was twelve, I've been living with a REALLY nice, old couple. They gave me food and board just for singing for them every once and a while.  
  
"But, they died two years ago in a car accident. This guy, though, Katsuragi Osamu, he had been secretly keeping track of me. He really likes cantavisians because they sell for a LOT of money on the slave market--"  
  
"You don't look suited for hard labor," Yuki interrupted.  
  
A blush appeared on Shuichi's face. "It's for a completely different kind of servitude, Yuki-san. Anyway, he sorta kidnapped me--"  
  
"How can you 'sorta' be kidnapped? You're either kidnapped or you aren't."  
  
"PLEASE, stop interrupting me, Yuki-san!" Shuichi snapped. "Fine. He KIDNAPPED me and sold me off to this guy, Watanabe Kazuma. He seemed really nice when Katsuragi first took me to meet him. Personality-wise, he was sorta like your best friend's dad, you know? In fact, he was the one who gave me that money, and these clothes."  
  
"He's pretty cheap with clothes. That cloak of yours looks like a burlap sack."  
  
"Not THIS, moron! What I'm wearing underneath!"  
  
"Lingerie? Or was that a rhetorical statement?"  
  
Shuichi groaned in frustration and slapped his forehead. "No one has ever, EVER given me LINGERIE! I'm a BOY, damn it! I wear regular underwear, just like YOU do!"  
  
Yuki rolled his eyes. "Continue with your story, Shindou. I don't have all day."  
  
"How can you go from asking what underwear I'm wearing to being a stickler for time? YOU are the one who got me STARTED on that whole tangent!" He sighed and took a couple of deep breaths. "I'm okay now. Anyway, Watanabe got really mean once we had gotten the paperwork settled, so I ran away and ended up here. THE END," he added for emphasis.  
  
"So, let me get this straight; you want me to be your bodyguard against this guy, Watanabe Kazuma, because you didn't hold up your end of this strange little wedding bargain of yours."  
  
"It wasn't a WEDDING BARGAIN! I was sold against my WILL!"  
  
"Whatever. But, you're still wearing his clothes, even though you're trying to distance yourself?"  
  
Shuichi looked at the window. "It's really dirty, you know. Don't you have janitors in this building, or are you too cheap to afford them?"  
  
The blonde sweatdropped. "You're not attentive, are you?"  
  
"No, but I'm also just avoiding your question because I don't really feel that I have a good enough answer, except that I'm very cold and I don't have any other clothes to wear and I just ran away today, so deal with it," Shuichi said haughtily. "You know, if someone broke the window, they could fall into the street and they could sue you for it."  
  
"That's why I put the desk AWAY from the window, idiot."  
  
"I'm not an idiot! If I was an idiot, I wouldn't have agreed to let you be my bodyguard, now would I?" They sat in silence for a few minutes until Shuichi asked, "So, by the way, when ARE you going to start bodyguarding me?"  
  
"I have been since you paid me," Yuki replied and snuffed his cigarette out in a glass ashtray situated between a few pictures: one of a brown-haired woman and a blonde man, and one of a black-haired boy. The movement brought Shuichi's attention there.  
  
"Oh! Is this your family? Let me guess who these people are; the girl is your sister, the guy is your brother-in-law, and the boy is your nephew?"  
  
Yuki chuckled slightly. "The boy's my brother, Tatsuha."  
  
Shuichi smiled. "Oh. Well, you two DO look a lot alike. By the way, Yuki-san, where will we be staying? I mean, I don't think we should stay here if someone's trying to get me. What do you think?"  
  
Yuki stood up and began to walk out of the room. "I'm not sure yet. Just follow me, for the time being. I don't want you out of my sight, got it?"  
  
"But what if I have to--"  
  
"We'll work out the details later." Yuki slipped on a blazer while Shuichi stood up and situated his cloak so his face wasn't easily discernible.  
  
"Do I look okay? Can you see my face really well?"  
  
"Sure, whatever." He opened the door, let Shuichi walk out first, and then flipped the light switch so the lights wouldn't turn on when the power turned back on.  
  
"Seriously, Yuki-san, Watanabe could probably tell what I looked like, so can you tell?" Shuichi restated.  
  
The door closed and Yuki locked it with his keys. "Just try to keep your head down."  
  
"Gotcha!" Shuichi winked and made a 'V-for-victory' sign with his fingers. "No one's ever gonna mess with me again, now that I've got a super-freaky, scary-looking bodyguard that knows kung fu, karate, and how to sumo-wrestle the bad guys into submission! HA!"  
  
The pink-haired boy began imitating karate moves until Yuki smacked him upside the head. "We don't have time for nonsense."  
  
"That hurt, you moron! You're supposed to PROTECT me, damn it! I KNEW I should've picked a different agency, but NO, this one had 'charm' and 'personality' to it, or some other stupid advertising bull--"  
  
"Be QUIET. You're giving me a splitting headache."  
  
"That's what you GET for hitting me and making fun of me, jerk!"  
  
"You know, I could just give you your money back and kick you on the curb."  
  
Shuichi frowned and bowed. "My most humble apologies, Yuki-sama."  
  
Yuki rolled his eyes and passed some of the money to Noriko, who had been listening to the whole conversation, since her desk was practically in front of Yuki's office door. "So, you're on bodyguard duty now, Eiri-san? That's great! We haven't had any business for such a long time. No one needs private investigators anymore, I guess."  
  
"You know the drill, Noriko. Just make sure that no one breaks in, and be sure to take messages for me. If it's really important, call me on my cell," Yuki said.  
  
"Can do, Chief! See ya soon, okay? You can't go dying on me!"  
  
"I won't."  
  
He opened the main door and walked out with Shuichi.  
  
"This is gonna be the COOLEST! I wish I would've had a bodyguard before! Then, I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place, right? Hey! Where are we going, Yuki-san?" Shuichi asked in one breath.  
  
"The stairs."  
  
"Really? Why not the elevator? That would be faster-- Oh, that's right. The power's out. Do you think the power's out in this entire city, or just this street, or just your building? I mean, this place is pretty run-down. I wouldn't be surprised if there were water-stains on the ceiling and blood-stains on the carpet, you know?"  
  
Yuki's jaw clenched in irritation as he opened the door to the stairwell. "Not really."  
  
Shuichi walked in and Yuki followed closely. "You're a smoker, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes. Why do you care?"  
  
"I don't really care, but I can smell it on your clothes and I was just wondering if you did or not, that's all."  
  
"Well, I do."  
  
"You shouldn't! It's so unhealthy! If we have to run for our lives, I don't want you having a heart attack! But, then I COULD use you as a human shield if it came down to that."  
  
Yuki rolled his eyes. "First, you are NOT using me as a human shield. Second, we will NOT have to end up running for our lives. Third, I am in EXCELLENT shape. Fourth, SHUT THE HELL UP! You've talked my ears off and I've only known you for a half-hour, at most."  
  
Shuichi frowned. "Sorry! I was just making casual conversation, is all. Just trying to be friendly."  
  
They walked down the stairs in silence, except for the humming of the dim emergency lights.  
  
"Where are we going?" Shuichi asked quietly.  
  
"If you waited three seconds, you would have your answer."  
  
Shuichi pushed open the door at the bottom of the stairs and grimaced. "This place smells really weird. And that thing over there DOES look like blood!"  
  
Yuki walked past him and Shuichi had to jog to keep up. "And YOU say I'M unhealthy, and I can out-walk you."  
  
"My LEGS are SHORT, OKAY?" A reverberating beep made Shuichi stop mid-stride. "What was that?"  
  
"Car alarm." The headlights of a nearby black, sleek car blinked in confirmation.  
  
"WOW! Is that a foreign car, Yuki-san? It's awesome!" Shuichi ran up and began running his hands over the glossy surface. "Hey! I can see myself!"  
  
Yuki slapped his hands away once he reached the car himself. "You'll ruin it if you keep doing that. For God's sake, it's just a car."  
  
"What kind is it?"  
  
"Mercedes-Benz SLE."  
  
"I was right! You can tell it's foreign because the steering wheel's on the wrong side! It's SOOOOO cool!" Shuichi piled inside and began hopping in his seat with a stupid, giddy look and Yuki started the ignition.  
  
"Look at this! It's a cigarette lighter! In the CAR! Wow! And this! What is this thing? Oh! It unlocks all the doors! And this one rolls down the windows! And this is the air conditioner! And this is the heater! And this is the seatbelt!"  
  
Yuki pulled his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and pulled one out as quickly as he could with a fixed jaw, growling slightly. The car rolled out of the parking garage and out into the street, windshield wipers working double-time in the heavy rain.  
  
"And this thing is the RADIO!"  
  
Sudden, blaring sound poured out of the speakers and Yuki jumped, dropping his cigarette on the floor.  
  
He pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, turned off the radio, and glared at the pink-haired boy with malice. "STOP MESSING WITH THE DAMN CAR! It's NOT a GODDAMN TOY! I'm trying to DRIVE, dumbass, and if you don't STOP, I'll run your side into a BRICK WALL!"  
  
Shuichi looked shocked. "I'm . . . really . . . sorry. . . ."  
  
"Good. Now put on your seatbelt and shut the HELL up!"  
  
The car merged back onto the main road with little difficulty.  
  
Yuki was glaring straight ahead for a mile, ignoring the occasional sniffle from the passenger seat until the car reached a stoplight.  
  
He looked over at Shuichi, who was slumped against the window, his whole body twisted away from Yuki.  
  
"Brat, you're going to ruin the window with your nose prints."  
  
Shuichi didn't look up.  
  
"Are you deaf?"  
  
"No," he mumbled in a shaky voice and turned back the right way. "But do you have to be so mean?"  
  
"I wasn't being mean; I was just annoyed."  
  
The boy turned towards him, tear-streaked face upheld with a certain amount of pride, eyes sparkling with emotion. "Yes, you were! You're a horrible person! I was just excited because I've never sat in the passenger seat!" Shuichi yelled.  
  
Yuki, though inclined to talk back, didn't. Instead, he studied Shuichi's face. He was actually quite attractive when the little freak wasn't chattering non-stop.  
  
"And the light's blue, stupid!"  
  
That snapped Yuki out of whatever thought he was having, and he slammed the accelerator, rushing through the intersection.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHH! SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN!" Shuichi gripped the seatbelt so tight that his hands paled.  
  
Yuki did let off some, but the car zoomed the rest of the way home.  
  
***  
  
He staggered out of the car and almost fell over before grabbing onto Yuki's arm. Then, he let go and toppled in the opposite direction.  
  
Yuki rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You're not very graceful, are you?"  
  
Shuichi responded by dry heaving.  
  
"I guess you were worried sick, weren't you?"  
  
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!"  
  
Yuki extended a hand and pulled Shuichi up by one of the folds on his cloak. "C'mon, brat."  
  
"Don't call me that! Hey, where are we?"  
  
"My apartment building."  
  
The two walked in silence to the elevator because the power was on in this part of town, then walked out on Yuki's floor.  
  
"So, this is Yuki-san's swingin' bachelor pad. I mean, I can only ASSUME that you're a bachelor. Otherwise, it would be a swingin' . . . something-else pad. Who thought up that, anyway? I mean, most people don't call their houses 'pads,' do they?"  
  
Yuki opened his door with his key and walked inside, with Shuichi following quietly. They both slipped their shoes off at the door. "Wait here."  
  
Shuichi looked around and frowned as Yuki retreated into another room. "Hey! Yuki-san, your house is practically empty! Where's all the nice furniture? There's a couch, and that's it!"  
  
He took off his itchy cloak and hung it up in a nearby closet. Then, he slid over to the black leather sofa and plopped down.  
  
'Today's certainly been eventful,' he thought as he lied down and looked up at Yuki's ceiling. 'Off-white. He's such a prude. Even his HOUSE is prudish. How come no one ever has chartreuse ceilings?'  
  
At that, Yuki returned from his room with a bundle of clothes. He tossed them to the lifeless form on the sofa.  
  
One that appeared to be wearing a dress.  
  
"What the HELL are you wearing?" Yuki asked.  
  
Shuichi opened his eyes and looked at himself. "Clothes. What are YOU wearing? Pie?"  
  
"I'm obviously not wearing pie. And YOU are obviously wearing a dress."  
  
"It's not MY fault! It's the only thing I OWN! It was either this or nothing!"  
  
Yuki sighed. "Whatever. Just go get changed, PLEASE."  
  
The pink-haired boy frowned, stood up, and walked out of the room, subconsciously pulling what little material he was wearing down to cover more leg.  
  
The blonde then sat down on the couch and lit a cigarette. 'That Watanabe guy has a fetish, or SOMETHING. . . . Even though he has nice legs. . . . Damn it!' Yuki slapped his forehead and scowled. 'It's not you. It's just that he's a cantavis, that's IT. Damn their stupid pheromones to hell!' He took an extra-long drag and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. 'That's IT, Eiri. Nothing more.'  
  
"Yuki-san, your clothes are too big for me! You're a lot taller than I am," Shuichi commented as he shuffled into the living room. He was now wearing a button-down shirt with sleeves so long that Shuichi's fingers were barely visible and black slacks that dragged the floor. "Whatcha staring at, Yuki-san?"  
  
There was a brief pause before Yuki answered. "I'm not staring. You're just blind, too, apparently."  
  
"Uh . . . okay, then. Can we watch TV? Please?" He bounded over to the sofa and sat back down next to Yuki. "What do you like to watch, Yuki- san?"  
  
"I don't usually watch TV, actually," he responded, fixing his gaze on the wall.  
  
"Do you wanna watch TV with me? Can you tell me how to work it? I've never really watched TV before, except for a couple of times," Shuichi explained and picked the remote off the coffee table, examining it intently.  
  
"First, you press the button that says 'Power,'" Yuki said.  
  
Shuichi pressed it a couple of times and began to get frustrated. "It's broken!"  
  
"Aim it at the TV," Yuki sighed.  
  
The screen sprang to life with a newscaster reporting on some trivial case. Shuichi stared in awe. "Wow! It's working."  
  
"You're done. The only other thing you need to know is that these buttons control volume and these change the channels. Got it?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
Yuki picked up a magazine off the coffee table and skimmed through the pages with a bored expression while secretly watching Shuichi out of the corner of his eye.  
  
He was having a lot of fun finding a channel to watch, flipping through the lineup at blazing speed. Then, once he found something, he would turn the volume up and down. Shuichi suddenly tugged on Yuki's sleeve. "Yuki-san, look! What are they doing?"  
  
He looked up at the TV and took the opportunity to extinguish his cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table. "They're playing baseball. It's a game."  
  
"Neat! Is baseball fun? Do you like baseball?"  
  
"I don't really care for sports."  
  
"Oh. Do you mind if I watch it?"  
  
"Why would I care?"  
  
Shuichi set the remote down and watched the screen, trying to follow the game but not really understanding what was going on.  
  
After another half-hour, Shuichi yawned and turned the TV off. "Hey, Yuki-san, I'm really tired. Where can I take a nap?"  
  
"You'll sleep on the couch. Do you need a pillow, or a blanket, or something?"  
  
"Are you sure I have to sleep here? You have a really big bed, and I- -"  
  
Yuki stood up. "No. Don't even think about it."  
  
"Then, yes, I WOULD like a pillow and a blanket." Shuichi crossed his arms and pouted slightly. "Even though this couch is uncomfortable."  
  
The blonde shrugged and went to the linen closet, retrieved a blanket, then went to his room, got a pillow, and walked back out into the living room. Shuichi was still in the same position he was when Yuki had left. "Here," Yuki said and gave the stuff to Shuichi and walked away.  
  
"Hey! Wait, Yuki-san!"  
  
Yuki turned around. "What is it?"  
  
Shuichi smiled, changing his mood completely. "Thanks. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help."  
  
"It's not like I would've done this for free, though. You paid, just like everyone else. It's nothing special," Yuki said and flipped off the lights before walking into his bedroom and locking the door.  
  
The pink-haired boy made his makeshift bed and lied down again, looking out the large windows of Yuki's apartment, watching the rain, fascinated at the way the sky looked.  
  
'It's strange how life can change so fast, so quickly. . . .'  
  
He closed his eyes and shortly fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of the rain.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Notes:  
  
*This is my first Gravitation fanfic.  
  
*This story is supposed to take place in the far future. And it's supposed to be a romance, but the characters haven't done anything romantic yet, sorry.  
  
*Tatsuha is portrayed as a child for a reason. I am aware that he is a sixteen-year-old, and he is in this story, too. The picture is just old.  
  
*Shuichi called Yuki 'Yuki-san' in this chapter. He will NOT do this for the entire story.  
  
*In Japan, even though they have green traffic lights, they are said to be blue by the Japanese.  
  
*Baseball is a very popular sport in Japan, and I believe it has the staying power to still be played and celebrated in the future.  
  
*Yuki's apartment is probably decorated like his house in the anime.  
  
*According to the manga, it is implied that Yuki owns both a Mercedes-Benz SLE and a Saab Cabriolet. I can only assume that it is his car of choice.  
  
*It would be cool if someone actually did wear an outfit composed entirely of pie.  
  
*16 million yen is roughly 146 thousand US dollars. I have no idea if that's the present rate for bodyguarding, so please, excuse that! Maybe Yuki just doesn't expect a lot of money. I don't know. Sorry!  
  
*Why don't more people have chartreuse ceilings?  
  
*This chapter is thirteen pages long, including this notes section.  
  
*The spacing is terrible, but I don't know how to fix it.  
  
*There will be other characters in later chapters.  
  
*Remember: I can't improve unless you review. I appreciate constructive criticism, but no flames, please.  
  
*I've uploaded this story many times, and then just as quickly taken it off on FanFiction.Net, for nit-picky reasons. Sorry!  
  
*I should have the next chapter posted soon.  
  
*Thank you for reading! 


	2. 2: Sora wa hateshinaku aoku sunde ite

Disclaimer: Do you really think I own Gravitation? Well, I don't. It belongs to Murakami Maki.  
  
Genre: AU/SF/Romance  
  
Story Type: Serial (hopefully!)  
  
Summary: In our story so far, Yuki Eiri, a private investigator has agreed to be a bodyguard for Shindou Shuichi, an alien creature on the run from an arranged marriage of sorts. Now, Shuichi is living in Yuki's apartment, and Yuki is ever so slowly becoming attracted to him, whether he wants to admit it or not.  
  
Key: word = description; 'word' = thoughts; "word" = speech; WORD = emphasis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rapture  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"Wha?"  
  
Yuki opened his eyes and was surprised to find that the outside was still dark.  
  
He looked at the city lights: bright, neon reds, blues, and pinks dazzled the white walls of the otherwise drab bedroom, lighting it with color it had probably never experienced.  
  
He wondered why he had never noticed this before. He had known that some stores outside had neon lights, but that hadn't really registered.  
  
But, then again, once he dared to glance at the digital clock on his nightstand, he was never awake at three forty-seven in the morning.  
  
That turned his attention to the reason WHY he had woken up at this ungodly hour: a horrible smell had hit him full-force. He started to breathe through his mouth as he went to investigate.  
  
Unlocking his door, he then made his way into the kitchen, where the smell and strange sounds were also coming from. The bright lights made him squint his eyes reflexively, then he kept them squinted at the pink-haired menace trying to fry something on the stove.  
  
"What the HELL--"  
  
Shuichi let out a shriek, effectively cutting off Yuki's question, and then turned around and sighed loudly. "Yuki-san! You scared me! Don't you know not to sneak up on people like that, ESPECIALLY when they are dealing with fire?!"  
  
Yuki ignored him. "WHY are you cooking at three in the morning?"  
  
"It's three fifty," Shuichi corrected, pointing to the clock in the kitchen.  
  
"I don't CARE. WHY are you COOKING AT ALL?" Yuki snapped.  
  
Shuichi got a thoughtful look. "Well, Yuki-san, I realized that I didn't eat breakfast, lunch, OR dinner yesterday, so I was hungry, and I decided to cook bacon." He held up the bacon packaging to prove his point further and smiled.  
  
"Okay. That's a logical reason."  
  
Shuichi nodded.  
  
"I have another question."  
  
"Okay! You can ask me anything," the pink-haired boy grinned and turned back to the bacon.  
  
"WHY does the bacon smell like vomit?"  
  
Shuichi's face fell. "It doesn't smell like VOMIT, Yuki-san. I just added some extra ingredients."  
  
"Like?"  
  
He held up a bowl filled with red goo. "It's my own, special hot sauce."  
  
Yuki slapped his forehead. "You're FRYING hot sauce?"  
  
"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"  
  
"NO, moron. If you REALLY wanted SAUCE on your bacon, though I can't imagine why, you would do it AFTER the bacon was done cooking."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"YES, really." The blonde looked at the contents of the frying pan and shuddered. The bacon was either burnt to a crisp or still cold and chewy, and all of it was covered in a thick, congealed, unidentifiable red substance.  
  
At that, Yuki lightly pushed Shuichi aside, turned off the stove, picked up the frying pan, and dumped its contents into the nearest trashcan.  
  
"Hey!" Shuichi shouted indignantly. "That was my breakfast!"  
  
"Just . . . sit down, Shindou, sit down." Yuki sighed loudly and shuffled to the refrigerator.  
  
"I'm a good cook, Yuki-san, really!" the pink-haired boy explained as he sat at the kitchen table, still holding a cardboard box and the bowl of hot sauce. "I'm best at preparing cereal!"  
  
"THAT figures," he mumbled, opened the fridge, and pulled out a pizza box. Yuki dropped the box on the kitchen table and waved his arms outward slightly. "There. Breakfast is served." Sarcasm practically dripped onto the cold tile floor.  
  
Shuichi frowned and set the stuff down on the table. "You eat COLD pizza?"  
  
"YES."  
  
"That's gross, but you know what they say: beggars can't be choosers!" He opened the box, picked a slice of pizza out, and dunked it in his leftover hot sauce.  
  
Yuki grimaced. "Are you actually eating that?"  
  
"Yes! I would've just used Tabasco sauce, but you don't have any so I had to compensate," Shuichi explained and took a bite of pizza.  
  
"With what, dare I ask?" Yuki took a piece for himself and began to eat.  
  
"Well, I started with ketchup as a base, then I added horseradish. I'm surprised you had any of that! Then, I put in some pepper, paprika, and ramen seasoning. And then I put in some relish."  
  
"Whatever. I'm not driving you to the hospital to get your stomach pumped."  
  
The two finished their pizza in silence. Yuki put the pizza box back in the fridge and held up the bowl of hot sauce. "Wash this out immediately. I don't want you stinking up my apartment." He thrust the bowl into Shuichi's hands.  
  
Shuichi rolled his eyes and went to the sink. "Just because YOU don't like it doesn't mean it smells like vomit to ME. . . ."  
  
The blonde walked back into his bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him. He flopped onto his bed, listening to the sound of running water and Shuichi's melodic humming.  
  
Yuki then went back to what he had been doing before: watching the colors on his wall. They moved to an odd and disjointed rhythm, sometimes blinking out of sight, sometimes flickering persistently.  
  
The private light show was strangely mesmerizing. Yuki had to tear his eyes away and he chuckled slightly once he did. 'A man as smart as you gets distracted by pretty colors?'  
  
He pulled his comforter around himself and closed his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the colors. Yuki realized he was fighting a losing battle, so he let his eyes open. 'Just look at the colors like the moron you are. . . . No one has to know.'  
  
So he began to count the shades with interest, but not enough that he didn't hear the knocking at the door. Or the opening of the aforementioned door.  
  
Shuichi marched in and dropped the bowl on Yuki's lap. "I cleaned it! There! Are you happy-- Wow! Look at that!"  
  
His attention turned to the colors on the wall and Yuki rolled his eyes. "They're just colors. Annoyingly bright colors, at that. And didn't you ever learn to knock before entering someone's room?"  
  
"Yeah, but I knew you were awake, anyway, Yuki-san." He walked over to the window and looked outside. "The blue one is for a tax auditing firm, the red one is for a deli, and the pink one is for a store called 'Life's Little Pleasures.' Strange."  
  
"Get out of my room and take your bowl with you." Yuki held the bowl up and pointed to the door.  
  
Shuichi's awed and slightly confused expression became pained. "You don't want to talk?"  
  
"No, I don't. I want to sleep."  
  
"Fine. I know when I'm not wanted! I'll go sleep on my uncomfortable couch now." He started to walk out, but Yuki wiggled the bowl slightly. Shuichi glared, snatched the thing out of Yuki's hand, and stormed the rest of the way out.  
  
Once Shuichi was gone, Yuki turned away from the window and tried to go back to sleep.  
  
***  
  
"How could you let something like this happen? HOW?!" Katsuragi Osamu was chewing the end of his cigar slightly, an odd habit he had picked up from his father. "Explain yourself!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Katsuragi-san. He just overwhelmed me! For someone that skinny, his right hook wasn't half-bad," the black-haired man explained, rubbing his cheek for emphasis.  
  
"Watanabe's a powerful man! He'll fire us BOTH if something happened to Shindou!" Osamu snapped.  
  
"I know, Katsuragi-san, and I SAID I was sorry! It's not like I can do anything about it now!"  
  
Osamu took a sip of beer. "Even if Shindou comes back to us unharmed, you'll be getting a definite decrease in pay, Tatsuha."  
  
"I'm willing to accept the consequences, Katsuragi-san, just PLEASE, let me keep my job! I'll work overtime, I'll take nasty assignments . . . I'll do ANYTHING!" Tatsuha begged.  
  
The older man sighed loudly. "Don't worry about your job. But, now I know better than to send kids on important assignments. I placed a lot of trust in you, Tatsuha, and you REALLY let me down. You won't be getting anything good for a LONG while. Do you understand?"  
  
"Of course, Katsuragi-san. Hey, I'm going to be rude and leave, okay? I'm really drained."  
  
"Sure. Getting chewed out takes a lot out of a person, that's for sure." Osamu waved his hand toward the door, letting the dim, red light catch on his rings. "Have a nice night. Be careful. And if you happen to see Shindou, do anything to get him back."  
  
Uesugi Tatsuha made a point of bowing to his superior, then left the restaurant quickly.  
  
Once he was away from the restaurant, he looked up at the sky and took in a deep breath. "DAMN IT!" he yelled, making some passerby stare.  
  
Tatsuha scowled and jammed his hands in his pockets before starting to walk again. 'Shit! If I had known that this would've happened, I wouldn't have done it in the FIRST PLACE!'  
  
Uesugi Tatsuha was pissed off. VERY pissed off.  
  
'Stupid freak! What the hell was his problem, anyway? That's the LAST time I do anything nice for anyone! And that's the LAST time I let myself get punched!'  
  
***  
  
The next time Yuki woke up, it was definitely morning. Birds were chirping from somewhere far away, sunlight was pouring through the window, and there were no noxious odors coming from the kitchen.  
  
But, NOW there were strange, clacking sounds that originated from the living room, along with more humming.  
  
'That boy is NOT going to survive if he keeps being so damn ANNOYING!' Yuki thought, grabbing his cigarettes and lighter for a morning pick-me-up, one that he SERIOUSLY needed.  
  
Once he had lit up and had a couple drags, he deemed himself awake enough to not smack Shuichi upside the head as soon as he found the little terror.  
  
But, that didn't mean that Yuki wasn't MAD. He had been woken up AGAIN at seven twenty-two, according to his trusty alarm clock, and he was NOT going to let this behavior slide.  
  
Yuki walked into the room and found Shuichi rifling through his small collection of CDs. Shuichi looked up at him and smiled brilliantly. "Good morning, Yuki-san!"  
  
The blonde stared. "What do you think you're doing? Are you a pain in the ass ALL the time?"  
  
"The only time I am is when I'm around you," Shuichi said as he turned back to the CD rack. "You don't have many CDs, you know. And they're all by the same old guys. You need more contemporary music. You need more VARIETY. "  
  
"Those 'old guys' have more musical talent in their fingernails than you have in your whole BODY. You wouldn't know good music if it burned you with its cigarette for waking it up at profane hours of the morning."  
  
"I don't think good music would smoke, though."  
  
Yuki rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch, not even bothering to dignify Shuichi's statement with an answer. "Fine. What do YOU think constitutes as good music? Grunge-metal? Techno? POP?"  
  
Shuichi stood up, grabbed a CD, and sat down next to Yuki. He passed the case to the older man and smirked. "I like techno a lot, but if you're gonna be stubborn about what you like, then I also like opera. You should have more CDs that you can SING to, at least!"  
  
The blonde chuckled at the CD he was now holding and tapped his ashes into his ashtray. "This was a gift. I wouldn't have bought it if I had been left to my own devices. I don't even think I've listened to it."  
  
"Seriously? How can you NOT like it? This one is one of my favorites! Here, I'll sing this part for you. I swear that you'll like it once you hear it!"  
  
And Shuichi began to sing.  
  
And Yuki was, for lack of a better word . . . captivated.  
  
'This idiot can sing?' He hit himself, mentally. 'Of COURSE he can sing, jackass! For God's sake, he's a cantavis! That's what they DO!'  
  
Shuichi's eyes closed as he sang, focusing entirely on the music. It seemed to flow on its own. It melded with itself, creating a beautiful sound and harmonizing at certain points, which made it sound like more than one person was singing along.  
  
Yuki was certain that his jaw dropped slightly during the song. 'This definitely beats out the pretty colors as being more interesting.'  
  
Once he got over the song's initial shock, he began to study its producer in great detail.  
  
'No, no, no! Look away! He'll stop being attractive if you stop looking at him, stupid! It's all part of their charm! Save yourself, and look away!'  
  
Yuki's body wasn't really listening to his brain, no matter how logical it was in such a situation. First, he snuffed his cigarette out. Then, he felt himself leaning closer to Shuichi, shortening the gap between them until he could smell the pink-haired boy's shampoo.  
  
Then, Yuki decided to move in for the kill, thinking, 'Screw it! I don't give a shit anymore. Just DO it, already!'  
  
Shuichi subsequently made the mistake of peeking, and his eyes widened as he stopped singing, bringing both of them out of their trances. "Yuki-san, what are you doing?!"  
  
Yuki glared down at him, making the younger man blush. "I'm not doing anything. You're just overreacting."  
  
"It looks like you were PLANNING on doing SOMETHING!"  
  
"I was looking for change in-between the couch cushions, moron."  
  
"No, you WEREN'T! I'm not STUPID, you know!"  
  
"Could've fooled me."  
  
Shuichi growled and scooted away from Yuki, then picked up a magazine off the coffee table. "I'm ignoring you now!"  
  
Yuki rolled his eyes. "Whatever."  
  
"That's the last time I sing for YOU," he muttered and began to inspect the cover. His eyes went over the bar code, and then his eyebrows knitted. "Yuki-san? Who is Uesugi Eiri?"  
  
"Me."  
  
"Huh? Is that a secret, super-spy alias of yours?" Shuichi asked sarcastically.  
  
"No, that's actually my real name."  
  
Shuichi looked up at Yuki, now interested. "Really? Then why did you list YUKI Eiri as your name at your office?"  
  
"When you have a profession like mine, you need more than one name. Better safe than sorry, eh?" Yuki asked.  
  
"I guess so. So, do you use Uesugi MORE than Yuki?"  
  
"Yes, but it's for legal things, like credit card applications and driver's licenses. Yuki is for my job," he explained.  
  
"Ah. That's interesting." Shuichi started to sing softly as he flipped through the magazine with a bored expression, and even though it wasn't very pronounced, the music started to enchant Yuki all over again.  
  
"Stop it, brat!" he snapped and smacked Shuichi upside the head.  
  
Shuichi rubbed his head and pouted. "Ouch! What was that for?"  
  
"It was for being the stupid, moronic brat that you are! Grab your coat."  
  
"But, you're wearing the same clothes that you wore yesterday. Aren't you going to change, or brush your teeth?" the pink-haired boy asked.  
  
"I don't care," Yuki snarled and stood up quickly.  
  
"Fine. I'll let you drive me somewhere like a maniac, but at least tell me WHERE we are GOING!" Shuichi stood up, too, and set the magazine back on the table.  
  
Yuki's gold eyes were narrowed in irritation. "We are going to buy some EARPLUGS."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Notes:  
  
*Admittedly, I'm not an opera fan, so I don't know any good ones, sorry! I like classical music, among many others, though.  
  
*You could probably compare Shuichi's species to the sirens from Greek mythology. According to my Greek mythology book, the sirens were very beautiful and had gorgeous singing voices, although there are many variations on their appearance. I've heard that the sirens were half-bird and another instance where they were terribly ugly. But, for the sake of this story, ignore all other descriptions of the sirens, please! ^_^;;  
  
*I had accidentally put this under the G-rated category! This story is most definitely NOT G-rated, so I changed the rating to what it was SUPPOSED to be, PG-13. Sorry if this inconveniences anyone!  
  
*Shuichi likes hot sauce with pizza. In Episode 13, I believe, where he lost his voice and was dressed in the sumo-wrestler costume, he puts hot sauce on his entire pizza. ^_^;; Ah, good times.  
  
*They were SO close to kissing, weren't they?  
  
*Hey! Tatsuha was in this chapter!  
  
*And my character, Katsuragi Osamu, was also in this chapter! By the way, Katsuragi comes from Katsuragi Misato of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Osamu is from Koike Osamu, one of the saxophone players for The Seatbelts.  
  
*Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews (I feel so loved! ^_^;;), and thank you for reading! 


	3. 3: Umi wa kagirinaku koudai de ite

Disclaimer: If you think *I* own Gravitation, you must be crazy! It belongs to Murakami Maki!  
  
Genre: AU/SF/Romance  
  
Story Type: Serial (hopefully!)  
  
Summary: In our story so far, Yuki Eiri, a private investigator has agreed to be a bodyguard for Shindou Shuichi, an alien creature with a beautiful singing voice, and Yuki is falling for him, whether he'll admit it or not. And with a man named Uesugi Tatsuha (with the same REAL last name as Yuki) trying to find Shuichi, what will happen to either of our main characters?  
  
Key: word = description; 'word' = thoughts; "word" = speech; WORD = emphasis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rapture  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Uesugi Tatsuha stumbled along the sidewalk, careful not to trip over his feet while shielding his eyes from the harsh sunlight.  
  
'What did I do to deserve this kind of pain?' he thought angrily and leaned against the nearest building for support as another massive migraine hit him like the proverbial ton of bricks. 'Just because I like alcohol as much as any other man doesn't mean that I should be cursed with hangovers like this!'  
  
The black-haired teen shut his eyes and groaned softly, doubling over and gagging on the collecting bile in his throat.  
  
'I SWEAR I'll never drink again if this damn hangover goes away!' he pleaded silently. 'And I'll pray every day; no, TWICE a day! And I'll try to be a better person, honest!'  
  
His prayers went unanswered. He slumped against the wall and let out a small whimper. 'Damn alcohol and all its tasty goodness to hell!'  
  
After being told off by his boss, Katsuragi Osamu, Tatsuha had proceeded to binge-drink until three in the morning. Now, he was paying for the consequences of his actions in the form of a massive hangover, one that he was sure to remember for a LONG time. He had only NOW stopped his marathon vomiting, and it was already nine in the morning!  
  
Tatsuha then dragged himself to a standing position, pushed away from the wall, and continued his journey to the drug store. He was a man with a mission, and that mission was to buy six boxes of aspirin. Not that he'd USE them all today; half a box would suffice.  
  
He fell into the nearest reputable supermarket, one that happened to be on the FAR reaches of the town he lived in, and staggered straight to the 'Personal Care' aisle.  
  
'I'm in heaven!' he thought, moving to the aspirin that was located at the back of the aisle. 'AND it's on SALE! Maybe I really SHOULD consider not drinking anymore . . . but, then I wouldn't need to buy all this aspirin, anyway! Whatever. I won't worry about it yet.'  
  
He took a box off the shelf and opened it, undid the plastic seal of the bottle with his fingernails, opened the bottle and pierced the metallic- paper cover, and popped three aspirin in at once. He was going to buy the bottle anyway, so why would anyone care if he opened it or not?  
  
He sighed quietly and shoved the bottle back in the box when he overheard some conversations up the aisle. Three older women were watching Tatsuha with interest and one of them giggled, a mother was buying cough syrup for her daughter, and a cloaked figure was talking animatedly with a blonde man.  
  
'Interesting,' Tatsuha thought as he pulled some more boxes off. 'Don't see many blondes around here. Maybe he's a foreigner, or something.'  
  
Tatsuha stared for a minute at the blonde as he loaded his arms with boxes, having completely forgotten to get a basket at the entrance of the store.  
  
The two left, but Tatsuha got a good look at the blonde as he was walking out of the aisle. It was just for a split-second, but it was enough for him to get a good look.  
  
The black-haired man's jaw dropped slightly, along with his boxes of aspirin, which made a loud sound that sent shockwaves of pain through his skull.  
  
"Damn it!" he said in pain, making the other patrons cluck reproachfully. "Sorry, folks, sorry," he mumbled as he began to move as fast as he could up the aisle, forgetting the aspirin entirely.  
  
'EIRI?! Is it possible that it's him?'  
  
By the time Tatsuha reached the front of the aisle, neither the cloaked figure nor the blonde were in sight. He cursed mentally and started to search the checkout lines for any sign of them.  
  
But there was no one there.  
  
'Shit, no!'  
  
Then, Tatsuha saw that familiar blonde hair through one of the large floor-length windows at the front of the store. Tatsuha began to make his way to the entrance when he was stopped.  
  
"Hey, you! Hold it, punk! What do you think you're doing?!" A store security guard ran up to him, an evil glower on his face. "You have to PAY for items in THIS store! And watch your foul mouth around women and children! What kind of man do you think you are?!"  
  
Tatsuha shook his head through his blinding headache. "I'm sorry, officer, but I WAS gonna come back and pay for that aspirin, but I was distracted and I REALLY need to go!" He looked out the window and any trace that Eiri was there had vanished.  
  
"OH, no, you aren't getting off THAT easily! Teenaged punks like you come in here ALL the time! I have half a mind to send you to a juvenile detention center!" He grabbed Tatsuha's arm and shook him lightly. "You have enough money to pay for the aspirin you took?"  
  
"Of course I do, just stop shaking me, okay--"  
  
At that, Tatsuha's face turned green, and so did the officer's shoes. He made a disgusted face and groaned. The guard removed his walkie-talkie from his holster, brought it to his mouth, and pressed a button.  
  
"Clean up in checkout line two. . . ." he sighed loudly.  
  
***  
  
Once they had gotten back to the apartment and he had taken off his shoes and coat, Yuki pulled his pack of cigarettes and his lighter out of his pocket. He then snatched the bag of earplugs from Shuichi's hands and walked into his bedroom, making sure to lock the door. The earplugs were made of wax and they itched like hell.  
  
'Whoever made these damned things didn't do a good job,' Yuki thought as he rubbed his ear lightly. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of sticking things in his ears, but he was falling hard for Shuichi and if he heard him sing like he did earlier EVER again, he would do things that he couldn't be held responsible for.  
  
'It's not like it's my fault. They give off a lot of pheromones. And they're naturally attractive. It's not my fault at all! If anything, it's that stupid brat's fault!'  
  
Yuki opened his pack of cigarettes and began the aesthetic process of lighting up. He had once considered switching to chewing tobacco, but he thought that using cigarettes to get his nicotine fix was a procedure that was most efficient, and the most visually pleasing. He couldn't imagine himself spitting brown, muddy gel into a bucket every five minutes.  
  
And, he most definitely couldn't imagine himself having to clean that bucket.  
  
He pulled his lighter out and stared at the metal casing, then flicked the side and, after initiating combustion, lit the end of his cigarette.  
  
It was just something about the cigarette itself that Yuki enjoyed. Maybe it was because he could snuff out the flame whenever he felt like it. It was some kind of obscene power trip that he wished he could apply to life sometimes, even if it was rather disturbing to envision ending a life like one would a cigarette.  
  
Maybe it was the way the paper and the contents of the cigarette would dwindle down to an unsightly stub. It was a comparison to life, as well, but not nearly as morbid. It was natural and normal.  
  
Or, maybe it was Yuki's inner pyromaniac at work. You couldn't BURN chewing tobacco. Well . . . you weren't SUPPOSED to, anyway. Logically, you could burn lots of things.  
  
Whatever the reason was, Yuki looked forward to smoking. It was the closest thing he could get to 'fun.' Plus, they were a much-needed distraction from Shindou, who had started an interesting conversation on wax in the supermarket after noticing the earplugs. The drug helped him lose focus on both the sheer magnetism and the extreme bother that was Shindou Shuichi.  
  
'Stop thinking about him, stupid!'  
  
The blonde took a long drag. 'Where would I be without my nicotine?'  
  
He sighed, closed his eyes, and relaxed against the headboard with a look of contentment.  
  
But, before Yuki really had a chance to take pleasure in his nic-fix, there was a small, timid knock at the door. "Yuki-san? Can you hear me, or have you put in your earplugs yet?"  
  
His eyes snapped open and one of them twitched in irritation. He turned away from the door and growled quietly. Yuki's plan was to keep quiet so he wouldn't have to deal with Shuichi. He didn't want to.  
  
"Are you asleep?" he whispered.  
  
'That's a stupid question,' Yuki thought, but remained as quiet as he could, still holding his cigarette to his lips. He noticed that his earplugs weren't very effective if he could hear Shuichi whisper from the other side of the door and he took them out. 'No wonder they were so cheap.'  
  
"Yuki-san, please answer me! I need new clothes! These ones are old and they smell strange. And, where is your shower? I haven't bathed recently!"  
  
Yuki rolled his eyes and, upon deciding that Shuichi wasn't planning to move soon, sat up. He snuffed his cigarette out in his glass ashtray and padded to the door. "Why couldn't you have asked me that sooner?" he grumbled, and unlocked and opened the door.  
  
Shuichi was holding a gray towel across his chest that he had gotten from the linen closet and was hopping back from foot to foot. "Because the power was out. But, since it's back on, can I take a shower? Please?"  
  
At that, he quickly shut the door again and clenched his teeth, fists, and eyes in frustration. 'Damned brat. . . .'  
  
The pink-haired boy opened the door because it was no longer locked, walked in, and then crossed his arms. "What was THAT for? I was just ASKING a question! What's your problem, Yuki-san?"  
  
"I don't HAVE a problem."  
  
"Yes, you do! Why do you act like such a jerk to me? You were understanding of the lady who accidentally bumped into you in the supermarket! And you were civil to the cashier! But, NO, to me, you're rude, and you're just really mean!" Shuichi glared up at Yuki, blue-purple eyes narrowed in frustration. "Are you a speciest?"  
  
"What the hell is a speciest?" Yuki asked and subconsciously took a step toward Shuichi, who, then backed away slightly.  
  
"What do YOU think? You just have a problem because I'm not human, don't you? I'm just as decent as anyone else!" Shuichi explained, his gaze resolute, but his feet carried him back a few more steps.  
  
The blonde glared and stepped forward. This behavior was strangely intriguing to him. "That's not the point. I don't have any problems with other species."  
  
"Well, I certainly can't tell that from the way you act! Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners?" A soft thud resounded in the small room as Shuichi hit the wall.  
  
Yuki took another step closer. "Of course my parents taught me manners. Did YOURS?"  
  
"Yuki-san, you're in my bubble!" Shuichi snapped, changing the subject.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about NOW?"  
  
"Everyone has their own personal-space bubble: an area where they don't like people crowding it up. It's not very comfortable to have someone in your bubble that you barely even know! So, get out of my bubble, OKAY?"  
  
"That's a rather rude statement, isn't it?" Yuki smirked.  
  
Shuichi looked slightly flustered, then sighed. "That conversation's old."  
  
"No, it isn't." Yuki made a point of holding eye contact with Shuichi until the younger man looked away. He also liked that the shorter man was so easily flustered.  
  
"THAT'S not comfortable, either! Stop staring at me, already!"  
  
Yuki chuckled. "My line of vision is disturbing your bubble, now, huh? You're a strange person, Shindou."  
  
"I'M not the strange one, YOU are. . . ." Shuichi re-established eye contact in the form of a glare.  
  
Suddenly, Yuki became extremely aware of his surroundings.  
  
Bedroom.  
  
Shuichi.  
  
Towel.  
  
He growled and twisted himself away from the cornered Shuichi, who was now rightfully confused. 'Keep your FOCUS, Eiri.'  
  
"Yuki-san? Are you okay?"  
  
"YES, I'm okay," he muttered angrily and took a few steps away.  
  
"I don't know . . . you look kinda flushed--"  
  
"I SAID I was okay," Yuki snapped.  
  
Shuichi rested his hand on Yuki's shoulder. It was warm and slightly damp. "But, I'm SERIOUS, you don't--"  
  
Yuki quickly turned around and looked fiercely at Shuichi. He opened his mouth to speak, but when he saw the nervousness in those wide eyes, his higher brain functions seemed to cease entirely.  
  
'Hell, I'm going to go through with it, right now!' The blonde was on autopilot, ignoring the rational voice that was yelling, 'NO, you stupid idiot, back off, back off!'  
  
Yuki leaned down slightly to compensate for Shuichi's height and kissed him.  
  
Shuichi's eyes widened again, but he didn't pull away from it. He didn't add to it, either, though.  
  
Taking the initiative, Yuki wrapped his arms around Shuichi's waist, thoroughly enjoying the situation. The earlier argument on personal space was suitably nullified. Yuki thought it was funny that Shuichi had lost his irritable attitude entirely. In fact, he had closed his eyes in contentment.  
  
Then, Yuki decided to take the contact to the next level by trying to add tongue to their kiss.  
  
That was when Shuichi decided he had enough. His eyes snapped open and he pulled out of the embrace, blushing furiously. "What the HELL is your PROBLEM?!"  
  
The older man was silent, not sure himself.  
  
"I thought you hated me and the only reason you hadn't killed me yet was because I still haven't paid you all of your money yet! I mean, we were arguing less than five minutes ago! And . . . and then you KISS me? Why?" Shuichi asked, urgency and uncertainty in his voice.  
  
"You liked it at first, didn't you?" Yuki asked.  
  
" . . . Yes. And I think I sort of like you, too."  
  
"Then, there's no reason to stop." The blonde started to advance on Shuichi again.  
  
His head snapped up. "No, no! Don't. Not yet." Shuichi backed himself into the wall again with a nervous look. "Aren't we taking this a LITTLE too quickly?"  
  
Yuki smirked. "It's not quick compared to some relationships. I know your name, at least."  
  
"But, we don't HAVE a relationship. . . . Do we?"  
  
There was a slight pause before Yuki said, "Well, now's a good time to make one."  
  
Shuichi glanced back down at his feet. "It's because I'm a cantavis, right, Yuki?" he asked in a dejected tone. "Is that the only reason you're interested in me at ALL? You don't seem to like my personality very much."  
  
"You didn't call me 'Yuki-san' that time."  
  
"You're avoiding the subject."  
  
Yuki stared. "Listen, Shindou. Honestly, I think your pheromones have messed me up. I don't know about you, but I haven't gotten any in SIX MONTHS. That's half of a year. HALF of an ENTIRE YEAR. I'm a little tense right now, and you aren't making that any better."  
  
"What does THAT have to do with anything?!" Shuichi asked and blushed again. "You seemed normal up until now!"  
  
"It has EVERYTHING to do with anything, and I just got tired of waiting."  
  
"It's only BEEN a DAY!"  
  
"I've never been around a cantavis before. Maybe THAT has something to do with it. Don't stick the blame on ME," Yuki snapped.  
  
Another bout of silence fell over the room before Shuichi sighed and Yuki walked toward him again with a slightly less angry expression.  
  
"I don't have all day to waste. C'mon, already."  
  
"HEY, wait! Don't I have a choice in this?" Shuichi held his arms out in front of him, making an ineffective shield. "And how did this turn into . . . you-know-what? Weren't you just talking about fooling around?"  
  
The blonde glared. "No, I'm pretty sure *I* was talking about sex."  
  
"But, you don't understand!"  
  
"What is there to understand?"  
  
"You KNOW about cantavises, don't you?" The pink-haired boy looked at him with suspicion. "You seemed to know a good amount yesterday."  
  
In his mind, Yuki rolled his eyes. Shuichi was making a big deal out of this when there was no need! "Of course." Frankly, he didn't have a CLUE as to what he was talking about, but if he could end up having sex from this, he would say pretty much anything.  
  
"You've been aware of that for this entire conversation, right?" Shuichi asked.  
  
"Do you think I'm an idiot?"  
  
Shuichi slowly dropped his hands, thusly letting his defense down. "I thought I had you figured out, Yuki. . . . Usually things like this don't happen so quickly." He thought for a moment before continuing. "You really mean it?"  
  
"I really do."  
  
"Truly?"  
  
"Yes." Yuki was getting mildly irritated.  
  
"I don't know. . . . I'm still sort of worried about this--"  
  
"You shouldn't be."  
  
"Yeah, I should! This is a major decision. . . ."  
  
Shuichi stared at Yuki for a minute and finally said, "Okay. Okay, Yuki." In a sudden change of heart, Shuichi boldly walked up to Yuki and hugged him, nestling his face in his shirt. "You'd better be nice to me, though."  
  
"Sure." Yuki awkwardly returned the gesture and smirked. 'Eiri, you fox, you've still got it! You are most DEFINITELY getting lucky tonight!'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Notes:  
  
*Sorry for the delay in this chapter! I've been busy lately. I was in a play.  
  
*To Shi No. Miko: a cantavis is just a made-up alien species of mine, although they're similar to the sirens from Greek mythology (see notes for Chapter Two).  
  
*I change chapter titles a lot. At first, I was going to write the character names and the most basic character design they represent. But, now I think I'll do something different.  
  
*Have any of the characters in Gravitation EVER had a real hangover? Most of them drink and they sometimes get drunk, but seriously, HAVE they? In Episode 6, Shuichi got drunk, but the next morning he had no signs of a hangover. He had a lot of other things to deal with, though. And in the first and second manga, Tracks 4 and 5, he got drunk again and went to the hospital but he didn't seem to have a hangover. I think Shuichi MIGHT have had a mild hangover in the first Sound Story CD, but he got over that pretty quickly. Maybe Wudbeiser is a magic beer. Or, maybe it's just that Shuichi is the only person that seems to drink to the point of excess and he has some special Pocky-powered immunity to hangovers. Otherwise, I can't explain it.  
  
*Yuki and Shuichi's relationship does move very quickly, anyway. In this story, it moves a lot more quickly. But, to keep things in perspective, loads of relationships move a LOT faster. And, yes, there is a reason for Shuichi's sudden change in attitude. You can probably guess what's happening from the conversation, though it's supposed to be somewhat vague. Yuki doesn't even know what's going on, but he has a one-track mind right now. Probably not too original, but, what the hell!  
  
*Shuichi talks tough sometimes, but for the sake of the story, he's not a decisive person and he's more submissive than usual, which isn't saying too much. That's why he was very easily swayed by Yuki.  
  
*There are only four Gravitation characters here so far: Yuki, Shuichi, Noriko, and Tatsuha. There should be more of them very soon, probably in the chapter after next.  
  
*I'm not too good at writing romance. Please forgive me for my 'romantic' sequence. True, it wasn't supposed to be EXTREMELY romantic, but still. . . . Also, I'm not too happy with this chapter. The next one should be better.  
  
*Because of an exceptionally long book report I have to complete by the third of December, I will probably not update this story until after Thanksgiving break. So, unless you hear from me before then (which is nowhere near likely), have a very happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  
  
*Thanks again to all of my reviewers! ^_^;; You all mean so much to me, and you guys are the greatest! 


	4. 4A: Kimi wa itsumademo egao de ite ne

Disclaimer: I don't own this. I don't. Really. The plot's probably been used, the characters aren't mine, and I probably don't own the writer, either. Meh.

Genre: AU/SF/Romance . . . do I really have to keep repeating myself?

Summary: If you READ the other chapters, you would KNOW what's happening.

Key: word = description; 'word' = thoughts; "word" = speech; WORD = emphasis; not exactly rocket-science, here, but I have no html skillz. Otherwise, I would use italics and such. But I can't. So there.

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Rapture

Chapter Four

The blond scowled, letting his face convey his inner emotions to his reflection in the sturdy window in front of him.

'So . . . you've found someone, eh, Eiri? It's about time. . . .'

His chuckle was the only sound that filled the dark, cold room.

'I hope you're happy,' Seguchi Tohma thought bitterly, smirking.

Five hours earlier. . . .

The sun was shining brilliantly off of the Fenikkusu's hull, blinding passerby as they stared at it.

Today was a remarkable day. The Fenikkusu was a great ship in her prime: one of Japan's best, most valuable, most treasured, and most recognized charter ships. After extreme overuse through the years, though, the ship lost its luster and became an old relic, putting its crew out of commission, as well.

But, due to technological advancements and a much needed hull repair, along with a few additions due to funding from an anonymous source, it had narrowly avoided becoming scrap metal.

And now, the Fenikkusu was becoming reborn again, ironically enough.

The captain, one Seguchi Tohma, was preparing for its first voyage in over a decade, happily speaking to the press and such, charming the mass of onlookers and reporters alike.

His wife, Mika, was standing at the helm with a bored expression on her face and her arms crossed. She didn't even have much of a duty, only to keep the captain company and, being his wife and all, she was naturally suited for it. But damned if she didn't hate every minute of it.

She stared at the rest of the crew with disinterest; most of them she had known for years. Most of the former members of the Fenikkusu were chomping at the bit to return to work.

She sat down next to Sakano, the ship's . . . well, he didn't do too much, either; however, Mika had never really asked, so she just assumed that he was in charge of personnel.

"Oh! Hello, Mika-san," he said nervously, dabbing sweat off his brow. "What brings you to my station, today?"

The brunette flipped her hair out of her face and she sighed. "I'm bored."

" . . . Aa."

She glanced at his console, not knowing what else to do, since Sakano rarely initiated conversation and he always seemed to be nervous and uptight about every little thing. Mika was almost positive the man would die from hypertension when he was forty. But, compared to the other freaks, Sakano was relatively normal.

RELATIVELY, anyway.

"What are you looking at?"

He flashed a tense smile and turned the screen in her direction. "Uh . . . the passenger list."

Mika's eyelids drooped. 'Doesn't he ever look at porn, or SOMETHING? What a prude!'

"Why, exactly?" she asked instead, glancing at the seemingly endless list of names.

"Because it's my job, Mika-san?"

"It is? I thought that would be something more suited to the Chief of Security-"

The two jumped visibly as they were interrupted by a loud, "YES?!" from behind.

Mika, after regaining her composure, rolled her eyes. "Oh . . . it's just you. . . ."

Meanwhile, Sakano blanched and fell out of his chair. "K-san! What do you think you're DOING?! Have you no respect for personal space?"

The blonde grinned. "I heard you two talking about me, and I was naturally curious!"

The woman inched away from him slowly, so as not to provoke him. "We were just discussing if reviewing the passenger list was in YOUR job description or not."

'I . . . HATE . . . that STUPID American!' she thought with malice, but managed to maintain a civil expression, albeit a stiff one.

Sakano picked himself off the floor and sat back down in his seat, adjusting his tie with a look of irritation. "It IS, actually . . . but K-san expressed that computers were not a strong suit of his, so I encompassed it into my duties."

K gave a sheepish smile and laughed. "Computers and me don't mix too well, unfortunately. . . ."

"'Don't mix too well'? As I recall, the last computer you were seen with didn't even LOOK like a computer when you were through with it!" Sakano said sharply.

Mika began to scroll through the names on the list as the other two talked.

"HEY! It's not MY fault that the thing wouldn't work correctly! I'm sure anyone else would've reacted the same!"

"They had to scrape the remains off the WALL!"

"It was being stubborn!"

"Your station smelled like burnt plastic for THREE MONTHS!"

Mika sighed inaudibly at their childish antics. Turning back to the screen, the woman's sharp eyes rested on one name that made her squint at the screen to make sure she was correct. But she was, no doubt about it.

She gasped, which made the two men stop and look at her quizzically.

"Are you all right, Mika-san?" Sakano asked.

"Yes! I'm fine, thank you, Sakano-san." She stood up quickly. "Please excuse me, but I need to speak to the captain."

"Of course," he murmured as she ran out of the bridge to find Tohma.

K scratched his ear with his pinkie once she was no longer in sight. "Women are so strange. . . . OH? Hey! That's my name!" he said and leaned down to point to his name on the screen for emphasis.

"That's nice, K-san," Sakano said with obviously no enthusiasm whatsoever.

===

After speaking with the press, Tohma smiled lightly and began to walk back toward the Fenikkusu with an easygoing pace.

He had such fond memories of his ship, but it had been such a long time since he had flown in space that he wondered if he would throw up like during his training when he was younger.

He laughed lightly out loud, until he noticed his wife rushing at him with a look of urgency. "Tohma!"

"Mika-san? What is it?" he asked, jostled out of his memory.

She ran the rest of the way towards him and threw her arms around his neck. "Eiri's a passenger on the ship!"

Tohma's eyes widened. "Eiri-san?" he breathed quietly.

"Yes! Eiri's really coming! Isn't this great, Tohma?" she asked, carefully giving him a kiss on the cheek. "And Tatsuha, too! I can't believe that they're really going to be here!"

Tohma smiled broadly. "This is excellent news, Mika-san!"

She linked her arm with his and rested her head on his shoulder. "Wow. . . . How long has it been, Tohma. . . .?"

"It's been . . . a long time. A long time." He gently hugged her in return and removed his arm from her embrace. The blonde walked in the general direction of the bridge and frowned.

'This will certainly complicate things, though. . . .'

===

Three and a half hours earlier. . . .

"How did this end up happening?" Yuki sighed quietly, raking a hand through his hair to distract him from the two very loud idiots behind him.

"Stop acting like a moron!" Tatsuha yelled.

"I will if YOU stop acting like a PERVERT!" Shuichi snarled back.

"I am NOT a pervert!" Tatsuha absentmindedly touched his new shiner.

"You are, too!"

Tatsuha grinned mischievously. "Oi, Eiri! Your boy toy's being annoying!" he called and winked at the brother that currently had an expression that could kill. But he was walking in front so the other two couldn't tell.

"Yuki?" Shuichi said in a similar tone.

Then, with lightning-quick speed, he whirled around and hit them both. "SHUT UP!"

He continued walking ahead but at a much brisker pace, leaving the younger two to sulk.

"Mou, Yuki! Wait up, please!" the pink-haired one called, trying to run ahead of a disgruntled Tatsuha, who then grabbed his leg. Shuichi, naturally toppled over.

The blonde, though, in retaliation, closed his eyes and walked at an even faster pace away from the two teens while they fought in the middle of the sidewalk, making passerby stare oddly.

It was bad enough having the pink-haired chatterbox around, but the conniving brother was maybe too much to handle.

The younger of the two had just suddenly shown up at Yuki's doorstep early in the morning, drunk and complaining that he had up and quit his long-time job at the underground before he could get fired.

Yuki took pity on him and let him stay . . . but he wasn't happy about it. And he vocalized it a lot.

But then, once Shuichi had woken up, there was pandemonium. Apparently, Tatsuha was the creep that tried to mess with him during his escort to Watanabe's place.

So, upon seeing him again, and being the impulsive person he was, he immediately socked Tatsuha in the eye again. And, of course, now there was a certain amount of animosity between them, hence the childish behavior.

Yuki was less than amused at having to listen to the two explain their stories to him, but now they were seemingly competing for his attention? Ugh.

But, now, he was feeling rather uncomfortable about staying in the area; with Shuichi and a now readily accessible Tatsuha, it would be rather easy to track them down.

That was why he bought last-minute tickets for the Fenikkusu.

"Yuki!" He barely registered the pink-haired blob running next to him. "Wait, please! Please, please, please?"

The blonde huffed in response and continued his pace.

Meanwhile, Tatsuha was now struggling with all of the luggage, seeing as Shuichi and Yuki just left him there to fend for himself, cursing the two mentally.

===

Two hours and forty-five minutes earlier. . . .

"Welcome. Please enjoy your stay," Sakano chanted rhythmically, bowing politely as the many passengers were scanned and brought inside the ship. He was beginning to get tired until he noticed the captain eyeing the crowd warily. Then he went double-time on the bowing, making his head hurt slightly.

Tohma had a frown etched upon his features until he finally noticed Eiri boarding the ship with little to no enthusiasm.

After that, he smiled plainly.

Mika watched hesitantly next to her husband, then sighed once Tatsuha was within earshot.

"Aniki! Look, look! It's our favorite sister and favorite brother-in-law , Mika and Tohma! What's UP?" he yelled at them from the other side of the security gates, grinning like an idiot.

An unidentifiable pink-haired person stood between them, with eyes wide. "Yuki, are they your family?" In an undertone, he added, "Are they anything like him?" gesturing back at Tatsuha.

The stoic blond ignored both of them and stepped through the gate. After a brief pause, a green light flashed and he was waved on through.

The one with the pink hair, however, was not so lucky. A tinny, light buzzer sounded, and a security guard quickly walked over.

"Excuse me, sir, but there's been a problem and we need to talk with you immediately. Please step aside," a pale woman said quietly.

"Wait! What . . . what'd I do? I haven't . . . done anything! Yuki!" He clung to the blonde's shirt possessively, with a look of anxiety.

Warning bells went off in the back of Tohma's mind, as well. He was the first to admit that he was fond of Eiri; in fact, he was his favorite person. So it was only right that he felt a little wary and a little jealous of the short, barnacle-like person.

But, being the diplomat he was, Tohma put on a more respectful smile instead of the slightly goofy one from before and casually sauntered over. "Good afternoon. Is there a problem, Hinata-san?" he asked, addressing the woman.

"Yes, sir; we haven't been able to find any documentation for this man," she explained quietly.

Yuki's eyes widened ever so slightly, then he grimaced, realizing his mistake.

"Why do I need documentation?" he asked. "I'm here! My name is Shindou Shuichi! I am nineteen years old and my birthday is-"

"Shut up," Yuki snapped. "The reason he doesn't have documentation is because he's a cantavis," he said curtly to Tohma.

Tohma glanced at the teen. 'Cantavis, eh?' he thought.

"If this is true, then . . . Shindou-san, was it?" He nodded and Tohma continued. "Then Shindou-san will need a medical examination immediately to prepare a profile. These security measures are all standard, I assure you. Please come with me to the infirmary. Your cooperation is very important."

Shuichi looked back at Yuki for encoragement. "You heard him, idiot; you're holding up the line, anyway."

"Well . . . okay. . . . Will you come with me, too, Yuki?"

"It's part of my job, isn' it?"

The pink-haired teen pouted slightly as Tohma began to lead them to the infirmary, once again leaving Tatsuha behind.

'Stupid . . . grr. . . .!" Tatsuha thought as he waited impatiently for his scan to finish.

To be continued. . . .

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Notes:

Sorry for the really, really, REALLY long delay in updates. But, because of this, I will be posting the second half of this chapter very soon! I had massive writer's block and it took me six months to figure out this . . . thing. Gah. Once again, I'm very sorry, but I really appreciate your continued interest in this fic! You guys rock!

More about the plot (and more actual story and character development! Gah!) will be explained in the second half of this chapter. I just really wanted to get this out since I've been dragging my ass this whole time. My sincerest apologies if you don't like this chapter, but I promise the next one will at least be better than this.

I changed the chapter titles to lyrics from the song, "Harmonia." Why? Because I've been obsessed with Naruto lately. And because I like the song. It . . . kinda . . . SORTA fits with the fic. But not really. Eh, I don't care anymore. 'Tis pretty.


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